The Mother of Robotics

Leonard exclaimed, "The Mother of Robotics?" This name successfully stirred up the entire meeting room. Those who were able to sit here participating in this meeting obviously had a certain level of understanding of this field and information related to robots. And speaking of robots, one must inevitably mention the Mother of Robotics. This was a mythical figure who once shocked and dazzled the entire tech world. It's not hard to see this from this title. Regrettably, this genius possessed extraordinary talent and brilliant ideas, but he seemed to have no desire for the mundane world. He was indifferent to money and honor. After leaving an unmatched work in a technology exhibition of a certain country, there was no further news of him. He faded into obscurity as swiftly as a daylily blooms, yet the lingering rumors remained. He was arguably the hottest and the coldest personality in the entire tech world - and, of course, the most mysterious. Even his basic information such as age, gender, nationality was completely unknown. Some said he's now serving his country, but which country was unknown. Others speculated that he's in seclusion developing new ideas, while others wondered if his talent brought him a disaster and he was assassinated surreptitiously due to the fear and envy he drew to himself. Opinions varied. William raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at her. Holding his breath, Leonard asked, "Miss Ricardo, you wouldn't... know him, would you?" Valentina's eyes swept across the eager eyes. She recalled how various government departments chased and invited her in the past. If her identity was exposed, it would cause quite a few problems. "Quite familiar." "Are you sure?" "Quite familiar," what a familiar phrase. The last time she mentioned this, the words were directed at herself, one individual, one object. Leonard had experienced this before; her assertion of 'quite familiar' implied at the very least a relationship of life and death. Otherwise, she simply won't bring it up. William didn’t ask anything more. He simply lowered his gaze and let out a small chuckle. Hearing Valentina actually knew the long-disappeared father of the legendary robot, everyone was taken aback. If it were anyone else, they would certainly just think the person wasn’t fully awake, wasting their time with nonsense. They might even curse a bit under their breath for wasting their time. But this school girl in front of them... If it wasn't for her relationship with Mr. Felton, they wouldn’t believe a word she said. Before Leonard could ask anything more, Valentina said to William, "I have a few of her initial works in my warehouse, defective items, you could say they are failed products, would you like them?" Everyone's eyes sparkled instantly. Any piece of this man— even if they were failures so absolute that they could not be worse— the technology applied was far superior to one currently possessed by the entire tech world. These initial works might even be the pioneering works of the robotics mastermind and their value would naturally be high. Just like that, the public's doubts about Valentina were once again overshadowed. After all, those were the works of the mother of robotics . She even said she had several, even if they were defective products. Weren't they as common as cabbages on the street? Was she deceived by someone? Leonard was thinking: See? I told you, at least it has to be a work of life and death situation. What else would the masterpiece of a novice be called? In her warehouse, this is what it takes. Wait--in the warehouse? Leonard's expression faltered a bit. The artwork of the mother of robotics, stored in a warehouse? She didn’t even place it in the collection room, actually...!!! It's such a waste. But then again, it's Miss Ricardo we're talking about. It’s not that hard to imagine. William said, "Of course. Let's talk in my office." He picked up the documents and walked towards Valentina. Valentina rose leisurely, walking straight out through the back door. "Who is this person? She knows the mother of robotics and even has one of the creations. Is what she said true or false?" "What's the relationship between her and Mr. Felton? Why do I feel... there's something unusual about Mr. Felton's attitude towards her?" "I noticed Mr. Felton looking at her from time to time during the meeting. His gaze was different." "That's unlikely, right? They don't look like a match at all." A group of people exited the meeting room, gossiping about the file in their hands, curious about Valentina's identity and her relationship with William. Just as they were guessing, they saw the usually reticent and socially reserved Mr. Felton tenderly embracing the slender waist of a young girl, heading towards the office. This scene instantly left everyone dumbfounded. Driven by curiosity, Leonard followed the two and asked, "Miss Ricardo, if you don't mind me asking, how much do you know that tech tycoon? Are you inseparable friends or soul mates? Rest assured, I won't spill anything out." "Is it possible for us not to be friends?" Considering the upgraded BeepBoop that Leonard had seen, there was an extremely plausible conjecture, "Could it be... your teacher?" The title of father of robots' disciple is not a small one. "It's me." Leonard gasped in disbelief, almost fainting. William did not react much, clearly having guessed it already. He led her into the office, in a very good mood he asked, "May I also dare to ask, are you here as a shareholder to inspect the work, or as a family member to visit me?" Before Valentina could answer him, a mature and competent woman in a professional suit approached him: "Mr. Felton..." In the next second, her gaze was drawn to Valentina in William's arm. The girl's hands were in her pockets, her height reaching the man's shoulders. She looked lazy and aloof. Despite her student attire, she was contrasted as a younger sister or niece by the mature and steady William. Their intimacy didn't look like what one would expect of such a relationship. The female director was stunned for a moment, but quickly regained her composure: "... Mr. Felton, these two documents need your signature." William took it over. "I'll have Leonard give it to you later." The female director accepted his proposition and left, stealing a glance at Valentina as she went. Valentina remarked, "She's quite pretty." William responded with a smile, "The company only cares about work ability, not other factors. However, if you pay special attention to this, I would be exceptionally honored and happy. Let's go this way." He then led her to his office. Valentina walked around, wandering over to the floor-to-ceiling window. William poured her a glass of water, "Don't you have class this afternoon?" Valentina replied, "Yes, I do, but I skipped it. I hung out at the racing track with Gabriel and Augus after lunch." William asked in surprise, "You took your little brother to race cars?" Valentina explained, "That idiot Gabriel tried to sneak Augus out. I caught them and decided to tag along." William chuckled, "So you went to the racing track, huh? Whether you were going back to school or home from there, you wouldn't have passed by my place. Miss Ricardo, did you somehow wander over here during your stroll?" He looked at her with amusement. Ignoring his comment, Valentina left the window and walked over to his desk. Putting her glass down, she noticed the interesting ornaments on his table. Just as she was about to grab one, the man came up behind her, lifted her onto the desk. He propped his hands on either side of her. Trapping her in his personal space, he curiously said, "Don't move. Let me take a look." His gaze moved to the top of her head. Valentina lifted her small face, baffled, "What are you looking at?" William answered, "I'm observing what makes your brain so different from ours, what's inside that makes you so brilliant - the Mother of Robotics." He looked at her, "We even talked about 'her' last time. Why didn't you tell me then that you are 'her'?" Valentina replied, "There's nothing worth mentioning." William probed further, "After you started sharing your story with me, you still didn't bring it up." Valentina confessed, "Mother of Robotics? I'm just making some obedient toys to guard my home and do the cleaning." William replied, "Up until now, I've never heard anything more modest. I can't imagine how those researchers in the tech industry would react." Valentina changed the topic, "Speaking of guarding the house and cleaning, I'm not comfortable with too many strangers at home. Occupational disease. Can I replace them with some of my robots?" William readily agreed, "That would be great. Actually, I also dislike too many unrelated people at our home. You could decide on the household matters, from now on you don't need to consult me." Valentina said, "That works." William gently knocked her forehead with his, saying, "Do I need to pay you now, Advisor Valentina?" Valentina lifted her lips in a subtle smirk, one hand propping her body backwards against the table and her body leaning slightly back. She gripped William's tie, "Then I need to ask, will this salary be coming out of your personal, or the company's account, Mr. Felton?" William lowered himself a bit, advancing further, "It doesn't matter, after all, the company is yours, and I am also yours. The real issue is how much to pay, just the title of Mother of Robotics could be pricey." Valentina pointed out, "So it is key which account it comes from." William asked, "What would be the difference?" Valentina explained, "If it comes from your personal, Mr. Felton, then it's negotiable, but from the company's account... that amount of money, I wouldn't bother." William smiled, "Then let's negotiate on something you'll bother about." Valentina decided, "Mr. Felton, since you're so loaded, I need to think carefully and not let you off cheaply." William slightly lowered his head, kissing her soft lips, "Hmm, think carefully. Don't hold back for me."